Siamo “polvere di stelle”: come la chimica costruisce l’Universo

Giuseppe Bellomo

doi:10.1473/jecntm76

Chimica e astronomia

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): Chimica nella Scuola n. 3 2026

Siamo “polvere di stelle”: come la chimica costruisce l’Universo

Giuseppe Bellomo

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DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1473/jecntm76
Submitted: 26 August 2026
Published: 26 August 2026

Abstract

This work examines the connection between Chemistry and Astronomy, showing how the chemical composition of matter is the result of cosmic evolution. Primordial nucleosynthesis produced only the lightest elements, while successive generations of stars synthesized heavier elements through nuclear fusion. Supernovae explosions and Neutron Stars mergers dispersed these elements into the interstellar medium, enabling the formation of chemically enriched stars and planetary systems. The Sun is discussed as a second-generation star whose composition reflects this cumulative process. Finally, the study considers the future evolution of the Sun and the fate of the Earth, highlighting that planetary systems and their chemistry represent temporary stages in the continuous evolution of matter in the Universe.

References

A. Cimatti, F. Fraternali, C. Nipoti, Introduction to galaxy formation and evolution: from primordial gas to present-day galaxies, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2019.
P. C. Clark, S. C. O. Glover, R. S. Klessen, V. Bromm, Gravitational fragmentation in turbulent primordial gas and the initial mass function of population III stars, The Astrophysical Journal, 2011, 727(2), 110.
F. Santoro, J. M. Shull, Critical metallicity and fine-structure emission of primordial gas enriched by the first stars, The Astrophysical Journal, 2006, 643(1), 26.
H.-T. Janka, Explosion mechanisms of core-collapse supernovae, Annual Review Nuclear and Particle Science, 2012, 62, 407 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-102711-094901).
S. Wanajo, H.-T. Janka, B. Müller, Electron-capture supernovae as the origin of elements beyond iron, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2011, 726, L15 (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2041-8205/726/2/L15/pdf).
V. Lipunov, Astrophysics of neutron stars, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2011.
F. K. Thielemann, M. Eichler, I. V. Panov, B. Wehmeyer, Neutron star mergers and nucleosynthesis of heavy elements, Annual Review Nuclear and Particle Science, 2017, 67, 253 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-101916-123246).

Keywords

nucleosintesi
evoluzione stellare
supernovae
stelle di neutroni
la fine della Terra

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Siamo “polvere di stelle”: come la chimica costruisce l’Universo. (2026). Chimica Nella Scuola, 3(3), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1473/jecntm76

[1] A. Cimatti, F. Fraternali, C. Nipoti, Introduction to galaxy formation and evolution: from primordial gas to present-day galaxies, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2019.

[2] P. C. Clark, S. C. O. Glover, R. S. Klessen, V. Bromm, Gravitational fragmentation in turbulent primordial gas and the initial mass function of population III stars, The Astrophysical Journal, 2011, 727(2), 110.

[3] F. Santoro, J. M. Shull, Critical metallicity and fine-structure emission of primordial gas enriched by the first stars, The Astrophysical Journal, 2006, 643(1), 26.

[4] H.-T. Janka, Explosion mechanisms of core-collapse supernovae, Annual Review Nuclear and Particle Science, 2012, 62, 407 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-102711-094901).

[5] S. Wanajo, H.-T. Janka, B. Müller, Electron-capture supernovae as the origin of elements beyond iron, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2011, 726, L15 (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2041-8205/726/2/L15/pdf).

[6] V. Lipunov, Astrophysics of neutron stars, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2011.

[7] F. K. Thielemann, M. Eichler, I. V. Panov, B. Wehmeyer, Neutron star mergers and nucleosynthesis of heavy elements, Annual Review Nuclear and Particle Science, 2017, 67, 253 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-101916-123246).